Energy Saving Tips

Energy Saving Tips

There are many things you can do to help save energy and money in your home

Turning your thermostat down – For each degree you cut the thermostat, expect to save £65 – £100 a year on average for a typical home. (It may be dangerous for older people, or those with asthma and other health conditions. If in doubt, consult your GP and follow their advice. It’s important older people do all they can to stay as warm as possible. Minimum 18 degrees if possible.

Fit a free water-saving shower head – Reducing your water usage can cut bills and help the environment. For a typical family, it’s a 2% saving, or about £35 a year on average for a typical home. free water-saving gadgets 

Cutting just a minute off your shower time could save £75 a year in energy bills, and a further £105 a year in water bills if you have a meter – £180 a year for an average four-person household.

LED Bulbs – You can save £2-3 per year for every traditional halogen bulb you switch to a similarly bright LED bulb. If the average UK household replaced all their bulbs with LEDs, it could save about £40 a year on bills. (EST data)

Draught proofing – Decent draught-proofing can cut 2% off energy bills.

Don’t leave your devices on standby – Saving £10-£30 a year.

Radiator thermostats – Don’t heat the whole house when you’re spending all day in one room. Could save you almost 6%.

Reduce the heating temperature on your combi boiler – (basically the water that circulates around the system and heats your radiators) According to Octopus Energy, if you’ve a condensing combi boiler you should set it to about 50 degrees to max your boiler’s efficiency. Can save up to 8% on bills by lowering the temperature on your boiler.

Insulate your hot water cylinder – Centre for Sustainability Energy, say fitting a hot water cylinder jacket could reduce heat loss by up to 75%, saving around £40/year on typical energy bills. (Jackets typically cost around £15 and should be at least 80mm thick)

Bleed your radiators – You should bleed your radiators regularly to prevent air being trapped inside, which will leave cold spots in your radiators. This will make your heating system less efficient, as you’ll be using more energy to get adequate heat out of them. 

Keep an eye on your boiler pressure – It’s also worth checking the pressure gauge on your boiler regularly. This tells you the pressure of the water circulating in the heating system. If it’s too slow, it’ll make your system inefficient, using more energy to heat your home to the required temperature. 

Clear your radiators. Try and avoid placing large pieces of furniture in front of them. Put radiator panels behind radiators fixed to external walls to help reflect the heat back into the room.

 

Curtains – Help with heat retention by limiting the flow of air between the warm and cold areas of a room. Heavy curtains will form a barrier that’ll limit the flow of air from the main room to the window. Some studies show it can reduce heat loss by 10-15%.

White goods – When buying white goods check they have the best rating you can afford, it will save you money long term.

Laundry – Wash more clothes, less often – Try not to use the tumble dryer. – The savings aren’t huge, around £10 a year for modern machines. The Energy Saving Trust reckons you could save £40 a year if you never use it. Try drying your clothes on an airer, but make sure you leave a window open, as it can cause damp in poorly ventilated homes. Keep filters clean in your tumble dryer and use Eco Balls. They make gaps in the washing to allow the heat to move more freely so clothes will dry quicker.

Cooking Tips

Only fill the kettle with as much water as you actually need – The more water you boil, the more energy you use.  saving roughly £8 a year possible. When boiling vegetables use just enough water to keep them covered. Use the kettle to boil water for cooking, instead of heating a pan on the stove. Not only will this be more efficient, but it generally takes less time too.

Always use the right size of pan for your cooking ring and put a lid on it. This will help save energy as it will cook quicker.

Make sure the gas flame only heats the bottom of the pan. This will help save gas and also stops the handle from getting hot and burning your hand.

Use a microwave or a pressure cooker instead of the oven as they should cook food quicker and potentially save you money.

Don’t keep the oven door open for too long when it is in use.

Switch off the oven sooner, as some dishes will cook while the oven is cooling.